It’s early, so much of this is vulnerable to too-quick conclusions, but here’s a look at the Vols’ rankings in the NCAA official stat categories. Some of it is meaningless after only one week, but some of it is meaty enough to bite into. Beware, the taste ranges from bland to bleck.
Offense
That first place in red zone offense looks like a tasty morsel until you realize that 60 teams are tied for first. The 3rd down conversion percentage is legit, though, as is the overall passing offense, so woo for those.
That red at the bottom? Offensive line.
Defense
Praise the pass defense at your own peril, as there is surely someone close by ready to remind you that teams tend not to pass when they can run at will. Basically, the defense was bad.
Special Teams
Most of this is garbage data that means nothing at this point, but punt returns and net punting are legit and good signs.
Turnovers and Penalties
Executive summary: Good on penalties, bad on turnovers.